(27 May 2014 – Addis Ababa) A two technical workshop on Knowledge Management for gender mainstreaming in IGAD’s drought resilience strategy was convened today in Addis Ababa. Participants from IGAD’s Member States and academics will discuss the gaps of knowledge products in the agriculture, rural development and the development of building blocks for the Knowledge Management for the gender mainstreaming among other topics.

Mr. Mohamed Moussa, IGAD’s Director of Agriculture briefing the delegates on the strategy of IGAD’s drought resilience strategy underscored the importance of gender in the success of the program. “None of the interventions of the drought resilience program can be successful unless gender issues are addressed,” he said.

Dr. Jane Oteba, representative of the UN Women emphasized the importance of the grass root women’s involvement to ensure that gender issues are addressed in the IGAD drought resilience programs. “Grass-root women need to be brought on board to secure their involvement for gender empowering policies,” she said.

Dr. Tesfaye Beshah, IGAD’s Knowledge Management Coordinator, explaining the purpose of Knowledge Management at IGAD said, “To establish a Knowledge Management system that would facilitate learning within the IGAD system, Member States with its development partners by coordinating people, processes, technologies and the organizational structure.”

The workshop will plan communities of practitioners among the IGAD Member States and the way forward for mainstreaming the gender in the drought resilience program.

The workshop was sponsored by the UN Women.